Assessments

Amalia Lopez became a high school English teacher because she thinks functional English is one of the greatest gifts you can give anyone trying to navigate life in the United States. So it may have been fate that she landed a job in the low-income, heavily immigrant California Central Valley community of Lindsay in 2009.

A couple of years ago, Mohannad Arbaji had a problem, one he could only solve by going back to school. Not enough students were completing lessons on his digital platform ChalkTalk, aimed at helping students grades 9-12 understand English and math concepts and improve their scores on tests like the ACT and SAT.

This is the second part of a two-part story about changing classroom culture. Read part one to learn how this teacher improved her student feedback system to increase student engagement."Are you going to resubmit your chemical changes model?" Valentina asked Jayda.

For educators and students alike, state testing days are often the most stressful part of the school year. And although those dates may be marked on the calendar the very first day of class, they can still catch many by surprise. If you find yourself running short on time as the testing window approaches, consider the helpful tips below. Your students will be ready to tackle the test in no time!

Data integration baffles even the most edtech-savvy districts.Translating and sharing data between your student information system (SIS) and a multitude of tech applications is complex, costly and time-consuming. But with easy access to data comes visibility into students’ successes, struggles and—most importantly—their needs.

If you’re an educator, the weeks leading up to state testing are likely some of the most stressful and demanding days in your year. You’re focused not only on test preparation, but also on each student’s specific needs. That might mean juggling students who have test anxiety while supporting others who have varying levels of understanding and comprehension—all while fielding questions from parents and administrators. Phew!

Many educational institutions maintain their own data centers. But to Jeff Olson, chief data officer and senior VP of technology strategy at the College Board, all those humming racks of servers are just plumbing—and he doesn't want to be in the plumbing business. He would rather focus on how the College Board, which administers the PSAT, SAT, and Advanced Placement Tests, can help students reach their educational goals. "We need to minimize the amount of work we do to keep systems up and running, and spend more energy innovating on things that matter to people," he says.

The College Board will soon allow high school students to register for Advanced Placement (AP) exams in the fall, rather than having them wait until spring—just before the exams are held.It’s a simple, seemingly inconsequential change, but in both the small- and large-scale studies the nonprofit conducted in U.S. schools, the option to register in the fall led to more underrepresented and low-income students taking the AP exams.